RAVES

I was happy to see the article on “helping the bees” in the March 22 Corrales Comment.

As a new beekeeper, I, like Chris Behl, am a Langstroth fan. I have a few hives around Corrales and my mentor and beekeeper is Phill Remick of New Bee Rescue.

Last year was my second year of beekeeping. The first year, with a different beekeeper, was a total failure. This last year, under Phill’s guidance, classes and one-on-one instruction, I had 100 pounds of honey from two hives! This year I will expand my hives and pray for another successful year.

Beekeeping is a lot more involved than getting a hive, some bees and let it happen. However, it is fun, interesting and exciting (and I am not a fan of the summer heat here). With my honey, I was able to sell it with the name PetPaw Honey and donate the money to animal rescue, mainly CARMA, which assists the Village in the care of the animals lost or found in the village.

I would also like to add important facts about the honey bees. They are imperative to the production of our food and plants. Without them plant life and food would not exist. It is important to know while Corrales is producing gardens of flowers, herbs, food, alfalfa, and trees, there are many new products killing our pollinator bees. The latest being the neonicotinoid based systemic items.

These products systemically flow through the entire plant which in turn poisons any insect who gnaws, nibbles or collects its nectar. Many stores are selling these incredibly lethal items. Please check the label’s active ingredients. It is highly likely you will see one of the following neonicotinoid-based toxins, Imidaclorprid, acetamirprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam or dinotefuran. Without knowing it, you are adding to the destruction of the honey bee. Products such as Round-up kill pollinators too! Buyer bee-ware!

So, honey bees are gentle, non-threatening, life producing insects, if left alone. Let’s help them do their job and they will help us!

Lisa MillerCorrales, NM

Hi
Phill!
We
are soo pleased to be stocking your honey on our NMSNT Clinic shelves. Vickie
New
Mexico School of Natural Therapeutics

I just have to say that NewBeeRescue, truly rescued me! I was ready to throw in the towel about learning to be a beekeeper instead of a bee-haver. I had ignored my bees since last fall when Ken Hays helped me change my top bar for a Langstroth.

I was putting off extracting honey since spring, and I was afraid it was too late in the season. A friend had just told me I couldn't borrow his small honey extractor. I called Ken and his wife told me I could borrow one from them. But when I drove to Bosque Farms, I discovered it was too big to fit in the car! I was ready to give up, and on my way out the door, I saw the New Bee Rescue flyer. I called and you came out that afternoon!

You didn’t let me feel stupid because I didn't know what I was doing. You offered to help me, coach me or do it for me! You knew I needed to remove one super, and that it was okay to remove a little honey, and how much I needed to leave for the bees to winter over. Way more that I could have figured out from reading a book! I feel confident that with some coaching over the next year, I will be able to keep my hive and enjoy beekeeping for years to come.

THANK YOU SO MUCH NEW BEE RESCUE!!!Sincerely, Lynn Buck

My wife and I had the pleasure of attending one of Phill's NewBeeRescue classes. We definitely learned a lot in just the two hours we spent. Probably the best part was getting to actually go into a hive with an expert and see and learn first hand what a good hive should look, sound and smell like!

As a special treat, Phill arranged for a swarm to pass by! No, just kidding about the arranging part, Phill was great, but not that all powerful ;~) But, we did see a swarm, and he explained what was happening and what would happen next. It was really interesting to say the least.

We have hired NewBeeRescue to come and look at our own hives since, and he has been very gracious and helpful in helping us learn about beekeeping this first year. BobKeys

I run a small market farm and for several years have wanted to keep bees. Two years ago I purchased a Langstroth hive and all the necessary equipment...but was not sure exactly what to do with it all. In fact, I had never even seen inside a hive! This year I decided (finally!) I was going to tackle beekeeping. Enter Phill Remick : ) from NewBeeRescue, who lives just down the road!

I found Phill through a club and an acquaintance had also suggested I get in touch with him. After our first conversation, Phill came by to survey my heap of equipment and help me sort out what was necessary. He instructed me on where to order package bees and even gave me a super of drawn comb so my bees could get a quick start. Phill's NewBeeRescue business has helped me with every aspect of maintaining my hive this season. From early spring feeding of the bees to late fall hive winterization, Phill has either helped me with these tasks or given me gentle reminders and clear instruction on how to complete them myself.

As a hands- on- learner, I really appreciate being able to work my bees with Phill's professional guidance and expertise. I have learned more from Phill as my mentor than I would have ever learned from just reading books on the subject!! As a result, my hive is ultra-strong going into the winter and we even got to harvest a bit of honey! I plan on adding two additional hives next spring and know I can count on NewBeeRescue to guide me through. In Phill I have found not just a bee mentor, but a friend...with infectious enthusiasm for keeping honeybees healthy. Phill Remick IS the bees knees!! Erin Parker-Rich

~ I had about three seasons of beekeeping experience when I met Phill at the Lavender Festival in Los Ranchos last summer. Since I wasn't a total 'New Bee' we began exploring some of the more advanced concepts and common practices in modern day beekeeping. I have six Langstroth hives (which I love!) and have benefited greatly from Phill's keen understanding and interpretation of beekeeping. I have so much more confidence around my bee hives that I am beginning to work without gloves (very carefully) which is something I never thought I could do.Kara B

~ Learning from Phill at New Bee Rescue was great. His responses to my questions were very informed. He is a walking beekeeping encyclopedia! Plus, I felt comfortable asking him anything about the subject - he was patient and no question was insignificant. I also enjoyed that his teaching style is sprinkled with wit and humor.I am looking forward to a new start this spring, becoming an A student in Bee classes,, and becoming my own keeper of the bees - with the help of Phill - NewBeeRescue! His knowledge is amazing and his quirky sense of humor contagious. Thank God for Phill!

Kim Williams

Phill, Can't thank you enough for all of your kind and patient teaching. Used to think that I could figure it outfor myself, but it's really is the experience that counts. You have it and I (and my bees) will be forever grateful for what I have learned from your years in the field.Thank you, Maya Keyes

As a beginning beekeeper struggling to manage a single hive, I felt like I was in over my head. Phill's seminar on basic beekeeping was invaluable, and gave me the kind of hands-on experience that I was able to immediately put to use. The class was well structured, with lecture and some very useful handouts showing examples of AFB and other hive diseases and pests. The systematic approach and checklist for hive inspections that Phill teaches are essential for any new beekeeper. James Dawdy Deming, NM

I called Phill, who was recommended by a friend, when my hives were suffering from neglect by a contracted beekeeper. We had scheduled a date and time and he called and moved up the date as he was concerned about the change in weather (sudden drop in temperatures) and did not want to compromise the bees. Unfortunately, he confirmed my fears Since then he has answered my questions, directed me to other sites and references and encouraged all my interest in becoming a hands-on beekeeper.

I am looking forward to a new start this spring, becoming an A student in Beeclasses,, and becoming my own keeper of the bees - with the help of Phill - NewBeeRescue!

His knowledge is amazing and his quirky sense of humor is contagious. NewBeeRescue/Phill has made me a BEEliever again in beekeepers! Lisa Miller

I attended several of Phill's beginning Langstroth classes, they were fantastic! He makes his decades of experience very accessible.He even talked me out of buying hives from him; true, he told me I needed to spend much more time absorbing and reading about honey bee ways. I'm glad I took his advice, too many new folks think they know it all after a short stint in a class or reading a book. My big beef is the Internet guys who have all the wrong ideas after having a hive or two in their back yard for a year or so and want to 'save the honeybee' with their vast treasure trove of nonsense. I will return to Phill's classes again this season, but this year, I know I will make the cut.Jim CruzSanta Fe

I thought I could learn all that was needed to be successful by attending the local beekeeping meetings, boy was I wrong! One person would say one thing, another something else and so on. It got very, VERY confusing, especially when I'd go on line after these meetings and hear the same 'experts' profess completely off base information. I was fed so much misinformation about beekeeping, I almost gave up-really, almost. A friend had attended three of Phill's classes, she was impressed with his great knowledge base and no nonsense, realistic approach to beekeeping. Phill took the time to show me the error of my ways and helped me realize I wanted to be more than a one hive owner. Now I have four Langstroth hives (gave away the tbhive) and was able to sell quite a bit of honey, we have turned the misguided experience into a totally positive one.Thad Wesleny

Hi Fellow Beekeepers!

My husband and I are taking beekeeping classes with Phill Remick who lives in Los Ranchos and they are awesome! We are new to beekeeping, and Phill has helped us every step of the way to become confident and competent beekeepers.

Phill is so knowledgeable, he is funny and warm, and loves creating happy bee habitats and teaching others how to do the same. His love of bees is contagious!

He happily answers any questions we may have between classes through email, and is very helpful in coming up with good solutions to any bee dilemma.

I would highly recommend his classes to any beekeeper--whether you're new to beekeeping or want to take your beekeeping skills to the next level. Sign up for his classes!

Maria(the jazz singer) Cruz

Hey Phill!I'm on my fifth(!) jar of your outrageously delicious honey, my family loves it! The 'Edge of the Rio Grande' honey label is so cool and I appreciate how it REALLY is raw, unfiltered and unheated. I bought honey from two other 'local' beekeepers but noticed they had strained/filtered all the pollen, naturally occurring enzymes, vitamins and minerals out - it looked exactly like the store bought honey. Oh sure it was pretty, but, now that I understand honey doesn't have to be perfect looking, I see the importance of including whatever pollen and other nutrients are locked within the 'unfiltered' gleaming glass jar.Oh, by the way, they use plastic honey bears, (how original) for their product. I have never tasted any honey as satisfying as yours!

Char. www.holistic-hands.massagetherapy.com

I met Phill with NewBeeRescue two summers past. It was kind of funny, I knew nothing about honey bees when I saw him in his bee yard working and decided to visit. I didn’t have a veil or any protective clothing, but, I walked right on up to Phill who was shocked to look up and see me watching him work. First thing he told me was to step back a bit and stay out of the bee flight path to avoid getting stung, Duh!

Anyway he and I have become great friends and I bought a couple of strong hives from him. My wife and I attended all his classes this summer and learned so much. He even helped us take our honey off and demonstrated how to extract it.

NBR manages our apiary year round. Phill is ultra-patient and willing to help anyone wanting to learn, his easy conversational style makes him fun to ‘bee’ around.'Coach' Matt Henry

﻿HONEY OF A CUP CAKE!! ﻿Good Morning PhillWe used your honey and created a cup cake in your honor today, spotlighting you and your company.Check out our facebook page. I have attached a copy of the photo of the cupcake we made...Honey, Lemon, Ginger with a fresh lemon curd filling, and a Honey Ginger Cream Cheese Icing.All the best,Kerry LoganBitterSweets Bakery9401 Golf Course Rd.NW Ste. A Albuquerque, NM 87114​505-899-3018